Tag: Effects

1/12/17--It can almost certainly ease chronic pain and might help some people sleep, but it's also likely to raise the risk of getting schizophrenia and might trigger heart attacks. Those are among the conclusions about marijuana reached by a federal advisory panel. The experts also called for a national effort to learn more about marijuana and its chemical cousins. Read

1/12/17--Although marijuana can help ease chronic pain, it can also raise the risk of severe mental illness, including schizophrenia, a comprehensive new report found. A team of top experts looked at all the studies that have been done on the use of cannabis — marijuana and products made from marijuana — and its impact on health. Ultimately, the committee came to 100 conclusions about cannabis. Read

1/10/17--Alcohol use disorders (AUDs) develop with time and in stages. Following the initiation of drinking, some people progress to problem drinking, and then develop a “cluster” of specific problems to comprise an AUD. This report examines high-risk families to understand underlying influences across multiple stages of AUD development. Read

1/4/17--Researchers at Leiden University led by Mario van der Stelt (Leiden Institute for Chemistry) have set ‘gold standards’ for developing new painkillers based on the medicinal effects of cannabis, but without some of its side effects. Read

1/2/17--A mysterious marijuana-related illness, now known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, is popping up with increasing frequency in hospital emergency rooms, particularly in states where cannabis is now legal. The symptoms are severe abdominal pain and violent vomiting — and most doctors are initially stumped when they encounter patients with the problem. The illness is linked to heavy, long-term use of marijuana, according to experts. Read

12/30/16--According to a 2015 study conducted by Dr. Kennon Heard, following the legalization of medical marijuana in 2009, a poorly understood condition, now known as cannabinoid hyperemesis syndrome, or CHS, affected some long-term heavy pot smokers who developed patterns of cyclical vomiting and abdominal pain. The study also conveyed that with the doubling of the incidence of CHS, the propensity to self-report also increased significantly, better allowing healthcare providers identify such patients who may have repeated ER visits. Read

12/25/16--A new study, published in Psychological Medicine, has added to the body of evidence pointing to a link between schizophrenia and the use of cannabis. Recent research suggests that not only are people who are prone to schizophrenia more likely to try cannabis, but that cannabis may also increase the risk of developing symptoms. Read

12/16/16--For those suffering depression or anxiety, using cannabis for relief may not be the long-term answer, according to new research from a team at Colorado State University seeking scientific clarity on how cannabis -- particularly chronic, heavy use -- affects neurological activity, including the processing of emotions. Read

12/12/16--A new study found that people who smoke marijuana on a regular basis before bed are going to experience sleep problems compared to those who occasionally smoke or don’t smoke at all. For the study, researchers surveyed 98 people who smoked marijuana on a daily basis, people who smoked once in the past month and up to five days a week, and those who never smoked marijuana. Read

12/6/16--Parkinson's disease is the second most common neurological illness in the United States, causing tremors, slowness of movement, postural instability, and impaired balance and coordination. But findings from a new review suggest symptoms of the condition could be improved with marijuana. Read

12/9/16--Regular marijuana use may affect how quickly a person processes things in front of them, according to a new study published in the journal JAMA Ophthalmology. Researchers claim regular cannabis use can cause problems with the retina, affecting certain cells so it takes longer for visual information to go from the eye to the brain. Read

12/7/16--Youngsters inhale harmful secondary smoke if marijuana is smoked in their presence. The psychoactive chemicals in the drug are taken up by their bodies as well. Karen Wilson of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai and the American Academy of Pediatrics Julius B. Richmond Center of Excellence in the US led the first study showing that it is possible to pick up traces of THC, the primary psychoactive chemical in marijuana, in the urine of children exposed to secondary marijuana smoke. Read

11/21/16--A new review offers further insight into how long-term marijuana use might have a negative impact on mental health, after finding "substantial evidence" that the drug alters the brain's reward system to increase negative emotions and decrease motivation. Researchers say long-term marijuana use lowers dopamine levels in the brain, which could explain why some users develop mental illness. Read

11/18/16--Smoking pot may impair coordination and other motor skills, even when you're not high, a new review of studies finds. Researchers found that people who used marijuana had differences in brain areas called the corticostriatal networks compared with people who didn't use the drug. These areas are connected to motor learning and control, and can affect people's reaction time, memory, and the ability to switch between tasks, according to studies included in the review. Read

11/12/16--Researchers have long suggested marijuana can cause memory loss. Now, a new study led by Dr. Giovanni Marsicano of the University of Bordeaux in France provides insight on this association, revealing how cannabinoids in the drug activate receptors in the mitochondria of the brain's memory center to cause amnesia. Read

11/14/16--A study suggests that marijuana use can weaken heart muscles, particularly in young men. Recognizing the possible adverse health effects of smoking pot to get high, researchers from St. Luke's University Hospital Network focused on patients with stress cardiomyopathy, a sudden temporary weakening of the heart muscle that prevents it from pumping. They examined the link between marijuana use and heart health. Read

11/7/16--Teens who take opioid painkillers without a prescription also often use cannabis, according to a new study. Researchers analyzed information from more than 11, 000 children and teens ages 10 to 18, in 10 U.S. cities. Overall, about 29 percent of the teens said they had used cannabis at some point in their lives, but among the 524 participants who said they had used prescription opioids in the past 30 days, nearly 80 percent had used cannabis. Read

11/5/16--As legalization makes marijuana more common in Oregon, local veterinarians are warning that marijuana can be poisonous to pets. Pets that gulp down marijuana can experience a range of effects, from lethargy to coma and even death. Local veterinarians say people should always keep marijuana away from their pets, and people who grow or process marijuana should also use caution about where they keep and dispose of material. Read

11/1/16--With the nationwide epidemic of opioid abuse, dependence, and fatalities, clinicians are being asked by federal agencies and professional societies to control their prescribing of narcotic medications for pain. Reduction in opioid prescribing leaves a vacuum that will be filled with other therapies, including cannabis. According to an article published in JAMA, the mandated transition to limit the use of opioids, paired with the current climate about liberalizing cannabis, may lead to patients' substitution of cannabis for opioids. Read

10/28/16--As more jurisdictions legalize marijuana, veterinarians across the country say they are seeing a sharp increase in cases of pets accidentally getting high. Tasty “edibles” such as muffins and cookies that people consume for a buzz are also appealing to animals, who can’t read warning labels, and, in the case of dogs, rarely stop at just one pot brownie. Read

10/24/16--Henry Berman, a clinical professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, writes a letter to the editor of The New York Times openly expressing why marijuana legalization has been a "big deal" for children and adolescents. Berman cites the doubled number of visits to emergency rooms by children under 10, and he addresses the serious effects on teenagers as it pertains to long-term behavioral and learning problems. Read

10/21/16--Dr. Dost Öngür, chief of the Psychotic Disorders Division at Harvard-affiliated McLean Hospital, presented a sweeping slide-talk on complex current issues in treating psychosis and informed his medical students not to smoke pot until they're 30. His warning stems specifically from a body of research that has been accumulating since the 1980s, suggesting that heavy marijuana use early on -- mainly in the teen years is linked to a higher risk of psychosis. Read

10/20/16--A study examining the impact of laws that legalize marijuana on educational attainment shows that states with these laws had an increase in the high-school dropout rate among 12th graders. In addition, among those who did graduate from high school, fewer went on to attend college or to graduate from college. Read

10/17/16--Marijuana users may believe that frequent use helps them sleep, but that perception has been challenged by a new study published in the Journal of Addictive Diseases. It found that daily marijuana users actually scored higher on the Insomnia Severity Index and on sleep-disturbance measures than those who did not use it daily. Read

10/13/16--A new study, published in the American Journal of Medicine, finds that regular, heavy marijuana use may reduce bone density, increasing the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. Compared with non-users, the researchers found heavy marijuana users had a 5 percent lower bone density, which the team says may raise the risk of bone-related health problems. Read

10/12/16--People who regularly smoke large amounts of cannabis have reduced bone density and are more prone to fractures, research has found. The study also found that heavy cannabis users have a lower body weight and a reduced body mass index (BMI), which could contribute to thinning of their bones. Read

10/5/16--In a new study, scientists in London, Ontario have discovered that early marijuana use may result in abnormal brain function and lower IQ. Participants who used marijuana from a young age had highly abnormal brain function in areas related to visuo-spatial processing, memory, self-referential activity and reward processing. Read

10/7/16--A study found those who used the drug before the age of 17 had highly abnormal function in four areas of the brain. These related to visual and spatial awareness, memory, introspection, and reward processing. And the younger children start the more damage it does to their IQ by damaging a gene involved in brain development and memory. Read

10/6/16--Based on the findings of a recent study, the combination of greater impulsivity with adolescent sensation seeking in youths with a family history of substance use disorders may be an important underlying component of the risk associated with a family history of a substance use disorder. In these individuals, early substance use, which further increases impulsivity, is an additional contributor to the risk of developing a substance-use disorder. Read

10/10/16--Author and physician Dr. Carl Bartecchi, who was among the leaders to ban public smoking in Pueblo, points out in his op-ed how concerned the medical community is about the effects of marijuana on youth. In particular, Bartecchi emphasizes that there is little known about the effects of marijuana on brain development that could result from such early exposure in children whose brain cells might be sensitive to such toxic exposure. Read

10/3/16--Researchers at Georgetown University Medical Center say there has not been enough research conducted on the effect of cannabis on the development of human embryos. Their study suggests an urgent need for human epidemiological and basic research that examines the link between maternal cannabinoid use and the health of newborns. Read

9/26/16--Heavy marijuana use over a long period of time may severely damage the brain, according to a new review of previous research. The results of the new report and previous findings on marijuana's effects on the brain are particularly concerning as marijuana continues to be legalized for medical uses, the researchers said. Read

8/1/16--In a recent study sponsored by NIDA and the National Institute of Mental Health, teens who used marijuana lost IQ points relative to their nonusing peers. However, the drug appeared not to be the culprit. The new findings contribute to an ongoing scientific exploration of the drug’s impact on users’ cognition. Read

9/7/16--Kids were reportedly left vomiting in the street after a cannabis farm in Salford burst into flames. Locals insisted they had no idea cannabis was being grown in the area, and were “knocked sick” after inhaling the fumes. Read

9/8/16--A review and analysis of 31 previously published studies has found no independent connection between a mother's pot use and adverse birth events. But the doctors say that doesn't mean it's OK to partake. Read

9/5/16--According to a new study published in the journal Lancet Psychiatry, substantially more people feel that using marijuana causes little to no harm. This study looked back at 12 years of data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health, from 2002 to 2014, and found that more Americans reported they were using the drug and far fewer saw it as harmful. Read